Cairngorms playing their part in peatland restoration
The Cairngorms National Park Authority is joining with peatland conservation organisations and experts from across the world to tackle climate change, protect nature and forge ahead for the health of the planet.
Local Peatland Action officers have zoned over 2,000 hectares of peatland restoration since 2014.
But the efforts need to be "scaled up", the authority says, to address the nature and climate crisis and contribute to the Scottish Government net zero carbon emissions targets set for 2045.
Since April this year, on becoming a direct delivery partner of the Scottish Government / NatureScot Peatland Action programme, the park has been able to award funding for local peatland restoration projects. Its team of experienced officers provide advice, guidance and support in designing and delivering peatland restoration projects.
But contractor availability is a major issue, project office Daisy Whytock said today.
"Peatland restoration, especially in challenging upland locations and on sites with complex erosion, requires skilled contractors who can work safely and deliver the best outcomes in restoring degraded peatland habitats.
"Contracting companies may be put off from branching into restoration work for various reasons, including the expense of purchasing machines or adapting machines for working on deep peat, the harsh conditions – most projects take place in the colder months to avoid impacting breeding birds – and uncertainty regarding likelihood of future work, difficulty recruiting the right team, etc."
The team are digging deep into how to make work contracts more attractive.
The move includes a plan to award multi-year funding packages, providing confidence for contractors and continuity in work so that they can see the impact of their hard work, dedication and commitment to climate action.
Over the next three years alone the CNPA programme plans to award £10 million in funding awards for peatland restoration, supporting a host of green and meaningful rural jobs directly in peatland restoration and many more in the wider supply chain.
New entrant programmes are running help train up local civil and plant businesses diversifying into peatland restoration.
"This is providing further green rural jobs and helping to tackle the current shortage of skilled practitioners equipped to deliver peatland restoration on the ground.
"This new entrant programme aims to enable more companies to become skilled in delivering drain blocking work using the latest techniques."
The Project Officer explained: "We have two ‘new entrants’ sites operational at the moment and are working with four companies in total. It’s exciting to see the enthusiasm the machine operators bring to the job, and how quickly they can master the drain blocking techniques.
"All going well, we hope to see each of the new entrants tendering for bigger projects and eventually tackling eroding sites."
Dianna Kopansky, global peatlands co-ordinator from UNEP highlights the importance of creating green jobs: "Green and meaningful rural jobs are the future, where work-life balance and purpose comes together to help people who are connected to a place, stay there and provide for themselves and their families for generations to come.
"There is nothing quite like being out in nature and this important work of contractors to repair and restore peatlands is important not just for Scotland but for the world.
"Jobs of the future like these are going to be looking at how to contribute to halting climate change and supporting nature to build back better for generations to thrive. Green, meaningful rural jobs are so important for our health and wellbeing and a key to our sustainable development."
A relay of stories from peatland projects worldwide has started with the UK, as the host of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, taking place in Glasgow.
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